Kevin Yoder, House Republicans Reprimanded For Drinking, Nudity In Israel

A group of House Republicans were reprimanded last August for taking a late-night swim in Israel's Sea of Galilee that reportedly involved drinking and nudity.
As Politico reported Sunday night, a number of Republican lawmakers on a fact-finding trip to Israel were involved in the incident, including Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), Steve Southerland (R-Fla.), Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.). Some spouses, family members, and staffers were also present. According to the report, Yoder took off his clothes before entering the reservoir, which the Bible cites as the place where Jesus walked on water.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who was on the privately-funded trip but not involved in the late-night swim, was "livid" about his colleagues' antics and scolded them for their behavior. A Cantor spokesman confirmed the episode to the ABC News.
According to Politico, the FBI later looked into the incident to determine if any members of Congress had acted inappropriately. While some staffers were questioned, no formal allegations appear to have been filed.
Yoder, who was elected in 2010, issued an apology for the "embarrassment" after the report of his skinny dipping emerged.
"A year ago, my wife, Brooke, and I joined colleagues for dinner at the Sea of Galilee in Israel. After dinner I followed some Members of Congress in a spontaneous and very brief dive into the sea and regrettably I jumped into the water without a swimsuit," Yoder said. "It is my greatest honor to represent the people of Kansas in Congress and [for] any embarrassment I have caused for my colleagues and constituents, I apologize."